A year after losing to Mayfield in an electrifying 2A state championship football game that came down to the final drive, Owensboro Catholic has returned to Kroger Field. The undefeated Aces are hoping to bring home their first-ever state title, but to do it they’ll have to get past perennial powerhouse Beechwood, who’s won state 17 times.
On paper, the teams look relatively similar, dominating both sides of the ball. Beechwood enters ranked first in 2A in points per game (46.8) and third in points allowed per game (14.6), while the Aces are second in points per game (45.9) and first in points allowed per game (9.9).
Aces head coach Jason Morris is expecting a packed house at Kroger Field, where the kickoff for Catholic-Beechwood is 4 p.m. ET, and acknowledged they will have their hands full containing the Tigers’ speed.
“Beechwood is about their speed and trying to spread teams out on both sides of the ball,” Morris said. “I expect them to come in with the mentality of trying to win the game, and we can’t let that get to us. We have to be ourselves and make sure like we have all year to not self-destruct.”
Beechwood’s Chase Flaherty and Tyler Fryman are threats in the receiving and run game, while Luke Erdman caught four passes for 122 yards and a touchdown in their semifinal win over Lexington Christian.
But their offense runs through their quarterback Clay Hayden. On the season, Hayden ranks fourth in passing yards (2,808) and second in passing touchdowns (46) amongst all 2A QBs. A senior, Hayden is one of the most experienced signal callers in 2A, powering the Tigers to a state championship title in 2022.
Defensively, the Tigers run multiple fronts, swapping between a 3-4 and 4-3. They will also mix up their coverages between cover 2, cover 3, and cover 4, as well as man.
At the helm for Owensboro Catholic’s offense is Atwell, who leads 2A quarterbacks in passing yards (3,406), passing touchdowns (47), and completion percentage (69.2%). He is also a threat with his legs, rushing for 563 yards and 18 touchdowns, adding an extra dimension to the Aces offense. On defense, Miles Edge is tied for 4th in 2A for sacks with nine, while Jude Cecil is 5th in interceptions with four.
For the Aces, everyone who will be starting on Friday played in last year’s state championship against Mayfield.
“The experience factor is not an excuse in any shape, form or fashion,” Morris said. “We know starting the game the first 5-6 minutes of both halves are crucial. After that, you are just playing football, and we are just going to make sure not to self-destruct. I don’t look for experience to play a factor in this game whatsoever.”
